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Page 466
would mean killing the sons also. Ian would not like that. He would be furious. Well, then, furious he must be. Ian was hers, and no one would be allowed to harm him. But the land was hers also, and she would not part with a rod of it. They were both hers! Neither Sir Peter nor any of his blood should have land or man.
Alinor sighed, and shook her head. There was more than one way of losing a man. She might achieve Sir Peter's death slyly enough to fool Ianalthough he was sharper than Simon about seeing through herbut not the sons. And if she marched a small army halfway across England and into Wales, it was impossible that John would not hear of it. Of course, it was Alinor's right to deal with a disloyal castellan as she pleased, but God knew what interpretation John would twist the action to mean. Thought of the king brought Salisbury to mind. Dared she write to Ela and tell her? Could Salisbury keep the king from acting? Was Sir Peter's behavior somehow inspired by the king? No, that was not possible. He had been looking strange before John knew of her marriage.
Sir Guy had fallen silent when he realized that Alinor was no longer attending to what he said. He watched her expressionless face nervously. Her eyes looked right through him. Twice her lips moved slightly as though she was calculating, and both times she shook her head slightly as if what she had added was insufficient or unsatisfactory. Finally, she caught her breath as if an idea had occurred to her, and then she smiled.
"Please go and tell Father Francis that I desire parchment and pens to be readied. I will need to write seven letters. When you have done that, ride down into Roselynde town and tell the mayor that I will have need of twenty men armed and mounted. Ten will be the town's service to me, and ten I will hire at six pence a day, the extra two pence for the use of the horses. He will have my order for it tomorrow, and the men must be ready to ride tomorrow also. When you have returned, choose

 
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